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Cerebral palsy is a permanently disabling condition caused by brain injury. In most cases it is a birth injury, meaning that it occurs during pregnancy, delivery, or shortly after a baby is born. All too often, cerebral palsy is the preventable result of medical negligence. Cerebral palsy affects motor function. In some cases the child will also suffer from mental impairment. In severe cases a child with cerebral palsy will have a significantly shortened life. If your child has cerebral palsy as a result of medical malpractice, compensation can help you get the best possible care for your child.
Causes of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy is usually the result of oxygen deprivation. Medical malpractice leads to cerebral palsy when a doctor or another health care professional takes an action which causes lack of oxygen, or fails to recognize or respond to risk factors, conditions, warning signs, or actual distress. Causes of cerebral palsy often associated with medical malpractice include:
- Infections in the mother or baby during pregnancy
- Rh incompatibility
- Stroke in the mother or baby
- Seizures in the mother or baby
- Inappropriate medications administered during pregnancy and delivery
- Inappropriate use of Pitocin to induce or speed up labor
- Umbilical cord strangulation
- Failure to properly monitor fetus or respond to fetal distress
- Delayed C-section or failure to perform C-section when appropriate
- Inappropriate use of forceps
- Bleeding in the brain
- Failure to administer oxygen to a baby who needs it
- Severe jaundice
Consequences of Cerebral Palsy
Cerebral palsy affects each child differently. It affects the central nervous system, and the ability to move or control movement. Some children with cerebral palsy are also cognitively impaired. Sometimes, however, children with no cognitive impairment are diagnosed as mentally retarded because their physical limitations are so severe that their ability to communicate is impaired.
Some of the effects of cerebral palsy can include:
- Paralysis
- Seizures
- Muscle weakness
- Spasms
- Lack of motor skills
- Hearing problems
- Vision problems
- Speech problems
- Learning disabilities
- Food aspiration
If your child has cerebral palsy, please call Tamarac birth injury attorneys Fenster & Cohen, P.A. at by calling (954) 473-1500 or contact us online. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.